Summer Reading
by Dragonslayer527
Summary: [One Shot] Summer is upon the tower, and everyone will swim besides the local mystic... RxR


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Disclaimer: I disclaim this.

Summer Reading

Raven stretched out on the lawn chair. Then, with a quick flick of her sleek violet locks, she returned to her book.

It was a crisp summer day. Just nice enough to enjoy the outside without melting to death.

Robin, in a stroke of generosity at the days dawning beauty, had relinquished the need for training that day. Instead, the titans had taken to the roof for volleyball and swimming in a makeshift pool of Cyborg's creation.

Well, everyone beside Raven. She had folded up her cloak, set it quaintly on her lap and proceeded to read.

Occasionally a loud yell or splash would cause her attention to avert from the newly printed pages and dwell on her friends.

"Boo-yah!" Came the voice of Cyborg followed by a loud tidal splash. Some of the water flew in Raven's direction and the girl curled up her legs instinctively as it drenched the end of her lawn chair.

"Dude." There was sputtering from Beast Boy and a laugh from Starfire.

Raven raised one eye to look over the four. Cyborg was coming up for air and splashing Beast Boy and Starfire. After swallowing some water at the surprise attack, the two retaliated laughing madly.

Robin had backed away from the fight, still watching with a sort of amusement. He was leaning against the wall of the pool, his black hair still dripping wet.

Raven dropped back down to her page. Her eyes skimmed over the page as a light breeze passed by. The words spun through her mind.

She turned the page and sighed contently.

There was more yelling and splashing.

A small smile twitched at her lips as she turned another page. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them… in her own way.

Raven made it half-way down the page before a shadow suddenly loomed over from behind her. She blinked at the droplets of water suddenly raining down on her precious novel.

Scowling, she followed the raining water up to see a boy. The domino mask was a give away.

He grinned upside down at her, his hair still soaking the paper product. Raven held her book out further to stop it from getting too damaged. "Yes?" She stared back up at her leader.

"You aren't coming swimming?" He shook his hair out suddenly, spraying Raven with water.

She raised an eyebrow at the motion. "No."

"Why not?" Robin moved from behind her chair to the side, still smiling amicably at her.

"I don't want to." There was a loud splash and a playful yelp from Starfire.

"Aww, c'mon Raven." He leaned a little closer grinning now.

Raven reached up and slowly wiped a water drop from her cheek. "I'm reading." She stated and motioned to her book that was smeared with dark water drops.

Robin seemed to have no shame in being the one to cause the book mess. "But the book will always be there… summer weather will not."

"It won't at this rate." She turned her attention to the novel. Carefully holding it, she attempted to dab at the water with her cloak.

The result…didn't work so well. A few words became muddled and smeared. Irked, Raven snapped the book shut and sat it beside her. She turned to glare at Robin.

Only to find him gone.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, traveling to the other three still splashing merrily in the pool. Starfire shook her mop of red hair after Beast Boy (as an elephant) had dumped water over her. Cyborg started after the green mammal, blocking another trunk-full of water.

Before she could turn her head to look, a shadow was cast over her and her soggy paged literature. The sudden lack of sunshine warmth finally made the mystic slowly tilt her head.

She caught the sight of wet, black hair before her world suddenly tilted. The boy, in an act of deadly bravery, had scooped her up. Started, Raven let out a short cry and dropped her book to wrap her arms around his neck in reflex.

There was an arm under her knees and one supporting her back. "Robin." She seethed, loosening her grip and giving him a nasty look.

Robin laughed merrily and turned to begin walking, carrying the infuriated girl.

"Put me down." Raven growled in a low tone looking ahead of them… the glistening water of the pool was nearing. "Oh no." She breathed, putting together what he was going for.

Raven started trying to wriggle from his grasp, and she moved her hands from his neck to try and push at his chest. The boy simply tightened his grip and smiled in a way that made Raven want to slap him.

"I'll kill you!" She warned and continued trying to work out of his grasp. She wasn't getting very far as Robin was a male and well… stronger. Raven cursed her heritage for not being Tameranian.

The water was so close now. The other three we're still on the other side of the pool oblivious. Raven contemplated drawing her powers and blasting him to oblivion.

__

Yes… her mind purred as she turned her attention back to the boy. Taking a hand, she moved it close to his face as it began sparking black tendrils. Robin stopped walking, now looking down at her warily.

"Put me down." She commanded, looking smugly at him.

Robin watched her powers dissipating and reforming in the hot air. He loosened his grip slowly, about to lower her to the ground.

"Alright then." A sudden smile spread across Boy Wonder's face and without warning, he dropped her…

…right into the water.

Sputtering, splashing, cursing and drawing the other titan's attention, Raven took a plunge.

Robin began laughing jovially, receiving worried looks from the other three. Cyborg looked between the masked boy and the girl who was just emerging from the water. He gulped and moved further back as Beast Boy began snickering behind his hand. Starfire smiled as well, though a little worried for Robin's health.

Raven broke air with a look hot enough to boil the water around her. Her hair dripped, the droplets splattering back into the water.

Robin continued laughing at her expression, one arm crooked on his hip.

"Oh you think that's funny?" Raven challenged, one eyebrow raised. She raised a hand suddenly, her powers taking hold of Robin.

"Ahh!" The boy's laughter had quickly ceased as he was thrown into the water near Cyborg.

Raven let the smallest smile grace her features as she turned to get out. She had almost waded over to the stairs when something grabbed her leg, slipping it out from under her. In a foam of bubbles the girl was back underwater.

Robin shook his hair laughing as she finally regained footing. She turned to glare death at him, pushing her dripping hair out of her face.

Robin shrugged. "You wanna swim now?" He grinned again, before shielding himself against a wave of water Raven had splashed.

"Not particularly." She sneered while Robin coughed up water and rubbed his masked eyes. Churning water past her, she continued to move towards the stairs.

There was a moment she thought he might not continue, before her ears picked up the sound of water sliding just behind her.

Raven spun as fast as the thick liquid would allow, holding a flat hand out in the ready position to summon power. Her palm rested against a firm and warm chest.

She had misjudged his position, Robin was clearly sneakier than she had thought. He was only a foot away, his arms raised and frozen as though he were ready to attack.

But the two were now practically nose to nose. Raven was sure her expression betrayed her emotionless exterior but it was too late to save grace now, Robin never missed a beat.

Instead she narrowed her eyes, all the while conscious of the space… or lack thereof… between them. "Don't you think attacking while someone's back is turned is rather deceitful?"

"As bad as attacking an unarmed opponent?" Robin challenged, referring to her earlier use of telekinesis.

A sly look crossed Raven's features. "Oh relax, I would never challenge you in a battle of wits."

The pause that Robin had taken when the girl turned around suddenly ceased. With a great lack of his character, he attacked the mystic.

The two, once again, vanished under the water in a flurry of bubbles and limbs.

"I'll take ten dollars on Raven." Beast Boy elbowed Cyborg in a grinning way.

Cyborg looked dubious, but slapped the boy's hand anyway. "Alright, I'll take that."

Starfire looked curious as though she were going to ask, but the gurgling of water made her once again advert her attention.

The two emerged, a growling and slightly blushed Raven followed by Robin, who laughed between coughing water. She tried to give him an indignant look, but her hair dripped in front of her eyes softening the blow.

"You, are a moron." With powerful steps, she stomped up the stairs of the pool and onto the roof's dry surface. Raven turned to go to her chair and collect her book. If she got her literature at least then she could return to the darkness of her room and plot revenge.

…not that she indulged in revenge or anything of that sort.

Her book wasn't there, curse Azar. She had only dropped it…

"Looking for something?" There was that cocky, amused voice behind her followed by the sound of someone stepping out of the water.

She was afraid to turn around, was a book really worth it?

The bookstore she had bought it from has said it was the last copy they had. And she still hadn't finished reading it…

Grudgingly, she set her jaw firmly and turned around.

Robin had just stepped out of the water and lone and behold, the book was held up in one of his hands. He dripped pitifully, but smiled knowingly. How in the world he had managed to grab the piece of literature… it was still beyond her.

"Give it." She was giving him one chance before her powers mauled him. Black tendrils were already floating off her finger tips.

Robin extended his hand as though he were ready to give it to her. There was still a good yard to two between them.

Raven raised a hand to conjure it to her.

"No, no." Robin pulled the book a little closer to him (water drops speckled the cover and Raven internally cringed). "Come get it."

Raven gave him a look, before deciding it probably wouldn't change his hard set mind. Guardedly she moved forward, hyperaware of any move he made.

Beast Boy licked his lips and crossed his fingers. C'mon Raven, he really needed some more tofu.

Cyborg watched on with some faint amusement. It was always particularly odd to watch the two in their battle of wits and stubborn attitudes. They could concur numerous villains, but not each other.

Starfire was just confused by the whole situation. She attempted to get the two boy's attention so they could explain it. It was fruitless, they were tuned in as though it were a commercial for a new game station.

Raven stepped just close enough to the boy and held out her hand. Robin briskly took a step forward crashing away the space Raven had tried to leave.

With a slowness that could only aggravate the mystic more, he handed her the book. "I think I'll have to borrow this from you sometime."

He smiled at the girl, one eyebrow raised and his hair still dreadfully damp. Raven brushed a hard across the cover, erasing the water Robin had dropped on it. "Yes." She replied darkly.

From behind her the girl conjured her cloak. A swift exit would do her good.

"Next time I ask, will you come swimming?" Robin asked as though it were casual conversation and not a dare to defy him.

Raven hung the blue fabric over her arm, calling for her center. She looked up and met Robin's hidden gaze. "Maybe."

With that she was gone in a disillusion of black mist.

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A nice summer one-shot for a contest on my board. Please review.

-Dragonslayer527


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